Helsingborgs Kommun

The gateway to the continent

The territory of Helsingborgs Kommun extends over a 15 to 20 kilometer wide coastal strip along the Öresund in the north-west of the southern Swedish province Skåne Län. The main town of the municipality is the port city Helsingborg, which is located on an only 5 kilometer wide strait between Sweden and Denmark.

The tourists who choose the route via Helsingborg will in most cases only perceive the region as a transit area on the way to their holiday destinations. But the region has to offer one of the oldest cities in Scandinavia and a lot of interesting sights and travel destinations.

Visible landmark and witness of the historic past of the region is the fortress tower Kärnan – a remnant of an once mighty fortress on the rocky cliff above the old town. To the north-east you will find Fredriksdals Museer, one of the largest open-air museums in Sweden.

In the district of Ramlösa, famous for its mineral water, which is widely used in Sweden, is one of the largest historic wooden buildings in Northern Europe – the former spa hotel in the spa park Ramlösa Brunnspark.

The region around Helsingborg is characterized by an open, slightly hilly landscape, which is mostly covered by extensive agricultural land. It is one of the most densely populated areas in Skåne and offers the choice of more than 20 different sandy beaches along the coast.

The route across the strait between Helsingør in Denmark and Helsingborg has been used as the shortest connection to the European continent since time immemorial. The first regular ferry service was established around 1892 and was crucial for the economic development of the region. The ferry service is still the second most important connection between Sweden and Denmark after the Öresund Bridge, with about 140 departures per day and more than 20,000 daily passengers.

The nearly 140,000 residents of the eight largest municipality in Sweden are spread over 16 places with more than 200 residents. With more than 97,000 inhabitants, the city of Helsingborg is by far the largest place, followed by Rydebäck and Ödåkra, each with about 5,000 inhabitants.